Set Fire to the Rain
by MomentarySetback
Summary: New beginnings are only so new when you don't really want to escape the past. / Set during the beginning of season 5, but follows a different story line.
1. Anywhere But Here

**Note:** Yes, a new multi-chapter fic! I'm excited to be writing again. Not sure how long this will be yet, but here's the prologue... As the summary says, this is set during season 5 (for a reason), but it definitely follows an alternate, very different story line. Hope you like it. :) (P.S. I'm ignoring the current happenings on the show, so I haven't watched the majority of season 9 in an attempt to preserve my EC inspiration.)

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><p>A tiled foyer stretched out before her, leading to a lush, cream-colored carpet that crept across the room to the left, up the stairs, and right up to the kitchen entryway straight down the hall. That rain she'd heard so much about pattered against the roof, echoing throughout the nearly empty cottage. It was cozy, she realized – small, but with a lot of open space and windows that practically spanned the entire length of the house in back.<p>

Calleigh passed the small office off the hallway to step into the kitchen and dining room, studying the view through the panel of windows and glass doors to the deck. Though the sun was beginning to set, it was light enough to make out the leaves of seemingly never-ending trees. But in the middle, much further down the mountain, they split for a sleek lake, and just a few city lights off in the distance were visible to her.

Exhaling deeply, she followed the connected dining area around to the living room. It was the most decorated part of the home thus far, with an over-stuffed couch, a matching loveseat and chair, a large television, and…a fireplace. Smiling, she stepped toward it, taking in the authentic stone base and brick mantle. Judging by the chill coursing through her body, she was going to make good use of it, too.

This was certainly nothing like Miami – and that was a blessing. It was exactly what she needed.

_She could feel her heart pounding, the sunlight heating her skin as it drew a thin sheen of sweat from her already. Her breathing was successive, almost rhythmic with the steps of her feet as they hit the rough wood of the boardwalk. She made a conscious effort not to push herself today, but to instead try to let the exhilaration and fresh morning air clear her mind. She needed to either think clearly or not at all, and nothing could accomplish that like an accelerated heart rate and the ocean air._

_Feeling a buzzing against her arm, she began to slow her pace as she unstrapped her phone from a strong layer of Velcro._

"_Duquesne," she answered, regaining her breath as she slowed to a walk._

"_CSI Duquesne? Agent Torres, FBI. Is this a bad time?"_

"_No, now is great," she assured with a friendly laugh. "I was just on a run."_

"_Oh, well I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was hoping to speak with you regarding a potential temporary assignment."_

"_With the FBI?" Calleigh's brows furrowed. The FBI had agents, and they didn't typically recruit from other agencies, let alone private counties._

"_I know it sounds strange, but we've been called in to investigate the presence of some sensitive military-grade defense weapons that have hit the streets within the last few months."_

"_What weapons?"_

"_The corner-shot," he admitted reluctantly. "We think there's a leak within the government's contracted defense sector."_

"_Yeah, we just wrapped up a case here about a week ago. They're tricky. You have to test-fire the gun it was mounted on and then attempt to connect the two."_

"_That's why we were hoping for your help," he admitted. "You're a top ballistics expert, you're familiar with the weapon, and you closed a case involving it quickly. I know it's a lot to ask, but it'd be contract work. Six months tops, likely ballistics lab work only, relocation expenses paid…"_

_Calleigh bit her lip. "Where to?"_

_She breathed in deeply, eyes taking in the beautiful, rolling ocean that was doing nothing to calm her racing thoughts lately. Come to think of it, anywhere but here wasn't sounding so bad…_

And it wasn't really – at least so far. The scent of pines was refreshing, the rain soothing…. She trailed her fingers along the banister as she went upstairs, the pattering of the rain increasing as she neared the top level. There, a balcony area overlooked the foyer before it branched off into a single bedroom at the back of the house with a large bath. It was so much smaller than her own home – less empty space, less room to feel alone.

Sighing, she set her phone on the nightstand and crawled onto the large, freshly made bed. The exhaustion of traveling suddenly overwhelmed her and, as pretty as the rain sounded, she had no inclination of getting drenched by it while unloading heavy bags from her car. Her belongings could wait until morning.

Sliding beneath the sheets and blankets, she tucked her body inside and waited for warmth to envelope her. She took in the shadows of the new room with still alert eyes and realized it was rest she was craving. Sleep, on the other hand, was far more elusive.

She rolled over on her other side to face the doorway and let her wandering mind fill the silence. Just when she thought she was 3,000 miles away and safe, he crept back into her thoughts.

_She caught sight of him in the layout room. He was removing the contents of paper evidence bags, seemingly searching for a way to proceed. He had that "contemplative Eric" face going, with his lips pursed and his brows furrowed so deeply they nearly knit together._

_She tugged at the door, a rush of air swirling around her as it sealed shut again._

"_Hey," she said, mentally surveying the array of evidence._

"_Hey." His eyes lingered on her just a moment too long. There was something different in her eyes lately. Maybe it had entered after she'd seemed to make the decision – conscious or not – to gloss over whatever between them went beyond just coworkers. An air of all too believable pretend was emanating from her, with depth just below the surface._

"_Analyzing blood spatter?" she asked, deducing as much from the blood-soaked clothing and other objects._

"_Yeah." He visibly shook himself from his daze to focus on work. "Still trying to establish a timeline."_

"_Want some help?"_

_He wanted to tell her no because he couldn't stand this – the pretend, the unspoken. Their relationship had been utterly fake for weeks, with her refusing to acknowledge the feelings and memories that blatantly exist as a strong undercurrent between them. He wanted to tell her to stop, to leave. But he made the mistake of letting his eyes fall on her, studying the curve of her neck, the glow of her skin, the way her fingers curve around the edge of the counter. Even now, when she really shouldn't be a weakness anymore, she is._

"_Sure." Tossing her a pair of gloves, he focused on the items before them._

"_Well, Taylor McCoy would've had to still be standing to get this pattern on his shirt," Calleigh began, flattening the green polo out with her gloved hand._

"_And Jordan Eames's footprints had McCoy's blood, so he went downstairs after McCoy was shot…"_

"_How long after, though?" Calleigh asked. "Is Ryan going over the security footage?"_

"_Yeah, still waiting to hear from him. I'm sure we can figure out more then."_

_Calleigh nodded along, a short, not-quite-comfortable silence befalling them. She had to tell him. Biting her lip, she took a few steps back to lean against the counter that ran parallel to the layout table. _

"_I'm accepting a temporary assignment with the FBI."_

_She sounded so casual, nonchalantly dropping that bomb in between typical work talk, that it took him a moment to process it and understand the implications._

"_You're leaving?" His eyes searched hers, waiting for confirmation. He couldn't envision a world that didn't involve coming to work with Calleigh every day, regardless of the tension, but apparently she could._

"_Just for a few months."_

"_Miami field office?" he asked expectantly._

"_No." She hesitated. "Washington."_

"_D.C.?"_

_Calleigh swallowed hard. "State."_

_He held her gaze, disbelief in his features – and maybe, somewhere in there, was a shred of guilt._


	2. Between the Lines

It took a moment for Calleigh to scan the multitude of faces in the busy café until she found her. Sarah's features were still so familiar to her from their college days together, and they'd planned enough visits over the years that Calleigh could still pick her out of a crowd in an instant. Plus, the striking red hair and freckled light skin weren't exactly inconspicuous…

Calleigh weaved through the tables until she reached Sarah, both pairs of eyes lighting up – Sarah's in recognition, Calleigh's at the sight of a familiar face in this unfamiliar city.

"Calleigh," she greeted excitedly, standing up to wrap her arms around her old friend. "My God, you look amazing."

"So do you," Calleigh returned, memories flooding back at the feel of Sarah's infamous, overly zealous hugs. And then, brows furrowing as she studied Sarah's only slightly altered figure, she asked, "Really, how have you had four kids? Did you start working out?"

"Are you kidding me?" Sarah cocked her head dramatically as Calleigh took a seat across from her. "Out of all the times you tried, you could never get me to run with you…not even down the hallway during that 3am fire alarm."

Calleigh let out a laugh at that, nodding in remembrance. Calleigh had always been up and out for a run by dawn, even then, and Sarah, who had deemed herself allergic to cardio, had always thought she'd been insane. They were quite an unlikely pair back then as roommates, but somehow, something had clicked between them. Sarah was outgoing enough to get Calleigh to open up without seeming intrusive, and despite all her playful remarks she'd never once made Calleigh feel alienated for her rigorous workouts, her obsession with guns and science, or the emotional distance she kept from others.

"So how are Tim and the kids?" Calleigh asked.

"Crazy." Sarah shook her head, seemingly flustered, but Calleigh noted the content smile creeping across her friend's lips. "You'll have to come over for dinner soon."

"Yeah, I'd like that."

"How long are you here for?"

"Six months at the most," Calleigh answered, reaching for one of the warm rolls the waiter had brought over and tearing it in half.

Sarah raised her brows, though on second thought she wasn't all that surprised. Calleigh had always been good at compartmentalizing. She'd never been prone to homesickness or the isolation most people feel starting over in a new city – at least not on the outside.

"That's a long time to be away from your actual job, your friends, your home…" Sarah began, eyes searching her friend for any reaction.

"Yeah," Calleigh replied casually, shrugging as she ate another piece of the roll. "I don't know. Work's been….not as exciting, and getting away for a little while sounded nice. Plus, the case is pretty interesting. I won't be doing any field work really, just ballistics."

Sarah nodded along, feigning agreement as her eyes narrowed on Calleigh. "So, let me get this straight. You left the beautiful Miami sun because Seattle, where it's not a real day unless it rains for at least an hour, sounded _nice_? And you agreed to quit your dream job of chasing bad guys for six months to work in some office doing science stuff?"

Calleigh pressed her lips together, rolling them as she contemplated her next move. She hadn't expected Sarah to see through her so quickly, but she should've known. Sarah, more than almost anyone, knew that her drive for police work hadn't been a mere career choice. It had been a way of life for her. She'd lived for it, and to leave it all for just the science was…not her.

"So why were you all too willing to leave Miami?"

Letting out a deep exhale, Calleigh's eyes drifted to the window, where rain was beginning to fall on the streets of downtown Seattle.

_Everything was in order. Horatio, sensing her need for time away, had gladly approved the leave of absence. Paperwork had already been filed with the FBI. Funds had been approved for her relocation. A contract had been drawn up._

_All she had to do was sign. _

_Pen clicked ready, poised above the paper, she hesitated. This was a big decision, and while it certainly wasn't reckless – actually, it had occupied hours on end of her thoughts – it did feel a bit impulsive. She was running away. No matter the reasons behind it, no matter how much sense it made, and no matter how right it felt… She was running._

_Sighing, she set the pen down and stared at the table aimlessly. Maybe she should be honest. Maybe she should go find him right now. Maybe she should ask him to talk and – _

_A familiar broad figure distracted her from her world of maybes and sent her spiraling back down to reality. Eric was crossing the center of the lobby, smiling as he reached the reception desk to greet a beautiful, tall brunette._

_Alicia, Calleigh remembered. He'd met her several weeks ago through one of his cousins and they were dating now. _Dating. _Not hooking up at bars or texting meet-ups at all hours of the night, but actually dating. It was what Calleigh had wanted him to do. Kind of._

_She watched him place a caring hand on the small of Alicia's back as he led her toward the front doors. Alicia smiled broadly, waiting while he opened the door for her._

_The last thing Calleigh saw was Eric retrieving his keys from his pocket as they headed for their lunch date. She positioned the pen in her hand again and signed her name above the dotted line._

"I just needed to get away for a while," Calleigh admitted vaguely. She wrapped her hands around the water glass before her, letting her fingers run through the condensation.

"What happened?" Sarah pressed. "Come on, the only reason I even moved out here was because Tim got transferred." She shrugged – and then it clicked. "Oh my God, a guy. You left because of a guy, didn't you?"

"No." Calleigh raised her brows insistently, but she couldn't fight the sigh that escaped her lips. "There's no guy. I just needed a break from everything in Miami."

"Right," Sarah agreed halfheartedly. She took a sip of her tea, a knowing smirk playing across her lips. "You'll tell me eventually…"

Calleigh couldn't help but smile.

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><p>Pressing his palms onto the counter, Eric let his mind wander as his eyes mindlessly scanned the potential fingerprint matches flashing across the screen. It had only been a few days, but everything was already different. Cases were taking longer, ballistics was backlogged, and – if he was being honest – his days seemed just a little longer, even more so than their tension-filled days.<p>

Plus, he had no idea where she was. Washington, yes. Seattle, probably, considering that was the most likely place for an FBI field office out there. But it wasn't like she'd provided him with contact information or promised to keep in touch. In fact, she hadn't even really said goodbye.

He refused to let that bother him, though. Instead, he channeled all his frustrations into her abandonment of him as a co-worker, of them all as a team. To him, she'd run off at the first opportunity with little notice, leaving them with the burden of unsolved cases and more shifts to cover. And maybe, when he allowed himself to go there, he was just frustrated with her…as a friend.

"Any matches yet?" came Ryan's voice from the doorway, disrupting his brooding.

Eric focused on the screen again. "No." He shifted a little, too caught up in his thoughts to offer more.

Ryan, sensing something was off, hesitantly stepped up beside him. "So how are things with, uh…"

"Haven't talked to her," Eric answered sharply. Straightening, he suddenly seemed busy as he thumbed through the pages of a file.

Ryan smiled uncomfortably; he'd clearly yet unintentionally hit a nerve – the Calleigh nerve, to be exact. Now that sure answered a whole different set of questions…

He looked around for a moment before he found his words. "Actually, I meant the girl you've been seeing. You know, the one currently waiting out in the lobby for you."

"Shit," Eric hissed softly, pushing his sleeve back to check the time. 7:23pm. He was late. Even worse, he'd kind of pushed the entire evening from his mind amid the hectic day. "Things are good," he assured, slipping off his lab coat and hanging it on a hook near the door. "At least I hope. Mind finishing this up for me?"

"Not at all. Go ahead." Ryan watched him jog off toward the lockers with an amused smile. After a moment, though, it faded as Eric's tense and rushed answers returned to his mind. He'd been like this all week – distracted, on edge, and unusually quiet, especially when caught off guard. But on the surface he was fine, and at times he even projected a rather convincing visage.

Sometimes, Ryan wished his co-workers weren't so damn adept at hiding everything.

In the lobby, Eric walked up to her just slightly out of breath.

Alicia was dressed for a night out in a low-cut yellow dress also showing off her long, dark legs and high heels that matched her tiny clutch. Bold jewelry accented everything just enough, and her shoulder-length dark tresses were curled slightly to frame her face. He felt even worse upon seeing her ready and dressed to kill.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, taking his hands in hers and kissing her cheek. "I got caught up running prints on this case."

"That's okay." She noted that he was a little hurried and laughed, giving him a moment. "Where are we going tonight?"

"I know you're dressed for something nice, but I was thinking we could do something low-key, maybe a night in," he suggested, gently tugging her toward the door. "We could get some wine and a movie, order some pizza…"

"Okay." He could detect the uncertainty in both her voice and her step easily.

Pausing, he made her stop outside. "What is it?"

"I…don't really like pizza," she admitted, frowning playfully in a way that almost made him melt. Almost. "Or staying in."

He raised a brow and she shook her head apologetically, laughing. "I'm sorry, I just get so bored. I was hoping we could go do something."

She watched him hopefully, and despite his excruciatingly long day and his need to simply go home, relax, and recharge, he reluctantly acquiesced. Exhaling deeply, he smiled and led her towards his car.

"Sure, let's go out."


	3. Secrets and Bitter Truths

Sorry for the long wait, but hey, I'm updating this in the third week of my senior year! That's impressive, right? I hope you guys are still around and wanting to read more. 

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><p>Under the glow of the white light filtering into the room through translucent curtains, Eric's eyes fluttered open. It took a moment for him to adjust to the brightness, to his surroundings, but when he could see the soft yellow walls and the expensive bedding covering him, he breathed out a relaxed sigh. It was the bright green eyes and waves of blonde hair amid the pillows that made him smile, though.<p>

Calleigh.

"Were you watching me sleep?" he teased. His arm was already around her, but he drew it tighter and ran his hand over her scantily clad curves.

"No," she answered, but the way her eyes darted away for a moment told differently. "I just woke up a few minutes ago."

She grinned broadly, fully knowing that she'd indeed been watching him in those moments between sleep and wake. He'd never seen her this relaxed, this open. It floored him a little, and yet he had the feeling he was completely at ease with it.

Things were just a little…different here. This was kind of like Calleigh's home, yet different. His own tastes were integrated into the décor, along with his belongings, and the room certainly wasn't her room – or his, for that matter. No, this was _their_ home. Somehow, he sensed that much. And it was peaceful, calm…everything he never knew he wanted.

When he emerged from the sheets, stepped across the nice but unfamiliar carpet, and pulled the curtains back, an oversized backyard stretched out before him. It wasn't long before he heard her light feet padding across the carpet, felt her arms slide around his waist.

"Please tell me we're mowing that today," she chided. "And by we I mean you. It's your turn."

He couldn't help but smile and melt at the innocent charm in both her eyes and her voice. It was all so casual, so simple, so domestic…so completely unreal…

A tidal wave of confusion and reality broke over him as the beautiful remnants of dreamworld dissipated.

"_Eric_," a female voice hissed from beside him – from alongside his bed, actually – but it certainly wasn't Calleigh. He hadn't heard her voice for weeks now. It was Alicia, and she was anything but casual and simple judging by her rushed movements and frustrated expression. "Come on, if you don't get me to my car in the next ten minutes I'm going to be late."

Eric sighed. This was far different from the peaceful awakening in his dreams, but so was everything right now. Alicia was here, with him, and that was more than he could say for Calleigh.

So he smiled and reached for Alicia's hand. "And that would be new how?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips in an expression that was almost adorable.

"Come on, if you were on time people would worry…" He ran his thumb over the back of her hand imploringly, slowly and discreetly beginning to tug her back towards the bed.

Alicia sighed, letting him pull her enough that she had to climb onto the mattress and shuffle through covers until she was close to him again. She let him tug her into one kiss and then another before she breathed out against his lips.

"I really have to go."

Eric forced a smile. "Okay, okay, I'm getting up."

For a moment, though, he longed for the life that had been presented to him in his dreams – slow, comfortable, full of mutual adoration. It was ridiculous, really. He'd never made it there with Calleigh save for a few moments of confusing, heavily emotional, and regrettable bliss. But there had been the possibility…

He'd never adored and respected anyone as much as Calleigh. She made him think about all those things he hadn't anticipated wanting any time soon – so much so that those wants were apparently expressing themselves in his dreams now.

But Calleigh had underestimated him. She'd either assumed too much or felt too little. And Calleigh had run away, while Alicia was standing right before him with her hand in his.

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><p>As she moved down the long hallway of the federal building in Seattle, Calleigh was acutely aware of how wrong she'd been about this place. Somehow she'd expected it to be more formal and restrictive, but apparently all criminal investigation bureaus experienced a sense of camaraderie and even friendship. Despite the heavy goings-on of kidnappings, killings, illegal imports, and drug busts, many of the teams here shared just the same relationship as her own back in Miami did. Agents here were full of quips, pranks, and, she realized as she returned to her own department, even the occasional super secret budding romance between partners.<p>

It was subtle, probably even to the agents surrounding them trained to pick up on body language and vocal inflections, but Calleigh could easily see it. Maybe it was because she was an outsider. Maybe it was because of all the drama she'd witnessed at CSI, or maybe it was because she herself had experienced a connection with a colleague that had been impossible to ignore…

Whichever way, she saw it all between the two young field agents: the glances that lasted just a little too long, the smiles that appeared only in the presence of each other, the little gestures that spoke of an intimacy that went far beyond coworkers or even friends. She saw it all as Bryant, better known as Agent Mercer, slid a coy hand along the countertop to steal a fry from Kate's (Agent Trudeau) drive-thru lunch, all too intentionally brushing her arm in the process. Kate was quick with a slap to the arm as penance – and a playful smile. It was just a small moment, a discreet slip, but the intimacy in their eyes and their actions spoke worlds.

Calleigh bit her lip as she passed more offices until turning into her own. It could only last so long – the flirting, the seemingly harmless touches and smiles – before it became all too serious for one, if not both, of them.

She knew from experience.

A few moments later, she was forcing a calm demeanor – an easy task for her after years of practice – when Kate stepped in.

"Hear anything from the locals yet?" Kate asked, resting her hands on the back of one of the chairs situated at a lab desk.

"Not yet, but I just faxed out the request, so…" Calleigh trailed off, shrugging hopefully.

"Should be soon then. Bry-um, Mercer has a few connections in Alleghany County. I'll see if he can speed things up a little."

"Yeah, that would be great." Calleigh tried to hide the amused smile creeping across her lips at Kate's slip of the tongue, but she couldn't. A few weeks had passed, and she'd struck up a few friendships around the base, Kate included. Enough girl talk had transpired between the three girls in a male-oriented department that Calleigh knew she could get away with it.

"What?" Kate asked, suspicious but smiling.

"Nothing." Calleigh pressed her lips together, but smiled again. "You and _Bryant_ seem close.

Kate grinned, but her eyes widened and her voice grew softer. "Please don't say anything…"

"Believe me, I won't." There was more than simple understanding in her words, and judging by the gratefulness in Kate's eyes, she knew.

"Hey, we're going for drinks tonight with the guys. Should I count you in?"

Calleigh had been utterly unprepared for the invitation and she faltered, almost amused by the invite. "Oh, not this time, but thank you. I just have plans already."

"Next time, then," Kate assured, ducking out before she could catch on to Calleigh's hesitation.

-

Her plans were far less eventful, but they were exactly what she needed: a somewhat chaotic, but altogether calming dinner with Sarah and her family. The dynamic amazed her a little. Everyone seemed mildly annoyed with each other in that endearing way and the kids had been equal parts adorable and troublesome. It certainly felt like a home in every sense of the word, a concept that was altogether unfamiliar to her but sometimes alluring.

They'd moved to the back patio a while ago, alternating between discussing work, their college days, and occasionally a few more personal revelations.

Finally, after several moments of silence, Calleigh set her glass of water down on the table between them and sighed. She could keep things to herself for any amount of time – forever, if needed – but either rekindling an old friendship or witnessing Kate and Agent Mercer today had changed something within her. She was carrying so many secrets around that part of her felt not only closed off, but also completely alienated. Plus, Sarah was an outsider in a way. She was safe and unbiased.

"You were right," Calleigh finally reluctantly admitted into the quiet night air, earning her a glance and a raised brow from Sarah. "About there being a guy…"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I knew it." And then, dismissing her playful insistence, she asked, "Who?"

"We work together," Calleigh began to explain, her brows furrowing. "It wasn't a big ordeal or anything. I mean, we didn't date…"

"But you wanted to? Or he wanted to…?" Sarah guessed the latter was more likely considering Calleigh's hesitance to let anyone in, not to mention her firm ideas about professionalism.

Calleigh bit her lip for a long moment. "I don't know."

After collecting her thoughts, she could explain a little more. "He tried when he first started there – before he had the job, actually," she added with a short-lived smile at the memory. "But I was pretty insistent that nothing could happen between us, so we've been friends…for a long time now." She shrugged her shoulders, conceding to that notion.

"And that worked?" Sarah pried knowingly. Deep down, she knew that if there were truly feelings there they couldn't be ignored, not even by Calleigh. She could bury them, maybe, but they'd still be there. And they'd resurface.

Calleigh sighed. "For the most part," she said honestly, though a flash of him on her doorstep utterly lost and saddened and in need entered her mind. She forced it back, along with the myriad of emotions that came with it. "Until recently at least," she admitted with a dry smile. "But he has someone now, and that's good for him. For a while he was just bouncing from person to person and he was never happy."

"But he wanted to be with you during that time?" Sarah asked for clarification. Maybe, as an outsider, she'd made the connection all the more easily.

"I don't-" Calleigh stopped, putting a few offhand comments, lingering glances, and maybe one very not-so-subtle instance together. She'd never thought about it that way, mostly because she thought he'd _liked_ a lot of girls at the time. "Maybe."

"And now you're here…" Sarah eyed her, understanding yet disbelievingly. It clearly troubled Calleigh, no matter how deeply she tried to conceal it all. The fact alone that she was talking about it was telling in itself.

"Yeah, and he's there. With her." Calleigh seemed oddly okay with it, and she knew that Sarah was questioning her sanity with every glance and nod. "It really is good for him," she assured. "He's been through a lot, and it's been a long time since he's actually had a relationship."

Sarah nodded, though not quite understanding. Silence washed over them again for a few minutes, both of them processing the words that had passed between them in very different ways.

"Calleigh," Sarah began softly, catching her friend's gaze. "Did anything ever happen between you two?"

It took all her resolve, but Calleigh had finally lifted her eyes to meet Sarah's as the question she knew would come eventually pierced the air. She found herself looking away much more quickly, and then, steeling herself again, she answered with a sad, knowing smile.


End file.
